Interview – Desmond Scott

Listen here.

Desmond Scott, one of Duke’s most versatile players ever, stopped by for a great discussion about a wide variety of topics. In regard to just how impactful of a player Desmond was, take look at his rushing, receiving and return stats – it’s unreal, especially considering that he transitioned to wide receiver for his senior year. Unbelievable.

During this almost 1.5 hour discussion, we talk about how Desmond elected to forego the NFL to become a principal which, in turn, led him to his current career of being a life trainer. Desmond owns and operates Prime Athletic Training & Fitness Institute and helps develop his clients in all aspects of their lives. We discuss how Demond built his business, how he became an entrepreneur, the challenges presented to his livelihood by COVID-19 and being a new father. Oh, and did I mention we talked about Blue Devils football? Well, we did. And Desmond has an amazing recruiting story that involves an all-time “What If?” in regard to West Virginia. You’ll be amazed when you hear it.

Further, you’ll recall that Desmond was on the 2012 team that beat the Cheats and was part of the 4th and Bowl play.

And, if all this weren’t enough, Desmond has some great things to say about Coach Elko, Coach Feeley and the current state of the program. Thank you, Desmond, for stopping by and for such a great talk.

Finally, as we get to the end of the episode, you’ll hear me mention that my Grandmother passed away peacefully last week. Grandma Wayne means a great deal to me; she helped me develop as a man, as a father and in my career. I don’t have enough time to thank her for all that she did for me, so I’ll just say that I don’t mourn the passing of a woman who lived to age 94, stayed married to Grandpa Wayne for 72 years, had four children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Grandma did some wonderful things and, instead of mourning her passing, I celebrate her life. In addition to raising a family, Grandma went back to school after her children got older and worked as a school teacher until she retired. She was a whip-smart woman who graduated from the College of Charleston. Had Grandma come along a little bit later, she would have been a scientist (I believe she got a Chemistry degree) or may have ended up as an attorney.

Because Grandma got sick when she did, I had time to visit with Grandpa and, as a result, I learned a lot about my family and Grandma and Grandpa’s relationship. Fun story – Grandma was so smart and so diligent about her studies that she snuck a German textbook into the dance where she met Grandpa. While Grandma may not have approved (read “strongly disapproved”) of me and my wife living together before we got married, she never mentioned it to my wife and always treated her with the utmost respect. One of the last things she said to me before she passed is that my wife “is a special woman.”

Obviously, I can’t say enough good things about my Grandmother, so I’ll just let Marcus Aurelius say it for me – “the longest-lived and those who will die soonest lose the same thing. The present is all that they can give up, since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose.”

I love you, Grandma.

Let me know what you think about what I think in the comments, on Mastodon, on Reddit, on Post, or on Twitter.

As always, Go Duke!